Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 10, 2025
08:00
Defining the Program of Maternal mRNA Translation during In vitro Maturation using a Single Oocyte Reporter Assay
Published on: June 16, 2021
4.5K
Gestational Age Dependence of the Maternal Circulating Long Non-Coding RNA Transcriptome During Normal Pregnancy
Erica L Kleinbrink1, Nardhy Gomez-Lopez2,3,4, Donghong Ju1
1Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States.
Frontiers in Genetics
|December 9, 2021
Summary
Researchers characterized the non-coding transcriptome in maternal blood during normal pregnancy. They identified differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), pseudogenes, and other non-coding RNAs, revealing insights into pregnancy regulation.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
- Obstetrics
Background:
- The human genome contains a vast non-coding transcriptome, primarily long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs).
- The role of the non-coding transcriptome during normal pregnancy is largely unknown.
- Previous studies characterized the protein-coding transcriptome during pregnancy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the longitudinal changes in the non-coding transcriptome of maternal whole blood during normal pregnancy.
- To identify specific non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that are differentially expressed with advancing gestation.
- To explore the potential functions of these ncRNAs in pregnancy.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of maternal whole blood samples collected longitudinally throughout normal pregnancy.
- Genome-scale annotation and characterization of the non-coding transcriptome.
- Validation of differentially expressed ncRNAs, including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), pseudogenes, microRNAs, and small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs).
Main Results:
- Identified nine differentially expressed lncRNAs, including lincRNAs and antisense lncRNAs.
- Discovered six differentially expressed transcribed pseudogenes.
- Found three other modulated non-coding RNAs: a microRNA (MIR4439), a small nucleolar RNA (SNORD41), and a small Cajal-body specific ncRNA (SCARNA2).
- Expression profiles suggested diverse functions related to pregnancy.
Conclusions:
- The non-coding transcriptome undergoes significant time-dependent changes during normal pregnancy.
- These findings provide a foundation for understanding lncRNA-mediated regulatory pathways at the maternal-fetal interface.
- This research deepens the molecular understanding of pregnancy and its impact on maternal and fetal health.
Related Concept Videos
02:39lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs
9.0K
In humans, more than 80% of the genome gets transcribed. However, only around 2% of the genome codes for proteins. The remaining part produces non-coding RNAs which includes ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, telomerase RNAs, and regulatory RNAs, among other types. A large number of regulatory non-coding RNAs have been classified into two groups depending upon their length – small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNA, which are less than 200 nucleotides in length, and long non-coding RNA...
9.0K
02:57piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs
7.1K
PIWI-interacting RNAs, or piRNAs, are the most abundant short non-coding RNAs. More than 20,000 genes have been found in humans that code for piRNAs while only 2000 genes have been found for miRNAs. piRNAs can act at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and have a vital role in silencing transposable elements present in germ cells. They are also involved in epigenetic silencing and activation. Previously, they were thought to function only in germ cells but new evidence suggests...
7.1K
03:18Non-LTR Retrotransposons
12.1K
As the name suggests, non-LTR retrotransposons lack the long terminal repeats characteristic of the LTR retrotransposons. Additionally, both LTR and non-LTR retrotransposons use distinct mechanisms of mobilization. Non-LTR retrotransposons are further divided into two classes - Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) and short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs), both of which occur abundantly in most mammals, including humans. Some of the active non-LTR retrotransposons in humans are L1...
12.1K
02:30Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
35.5K
Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
35.5K
01:21Nondisjunction
4.2K
Nondisjunction is the failure of homologous chromosomes or sister chromatids to separate correctly and move to the opposite poles of the cells. This produces daughter cells with abnormal chromosome numbers. Nondisjunction is common during anaphase I or anaphase II of meiosis. Mutations in synaptonemal complex proteins that attach homologous chromosomes increase the chances of nondisjunction in anaphase I of meiosis I. In contrast, mutations in topoisomerases and condensins that hold...
4.2K
01:23RNA Interference
26.7K
RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
26.7K